Red shirt protesters have stepped up their campaign against the government following Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's rejection of the group's proposal that the House be dissolved in 30 days.
Red shirt protesters block police vehicles from the central, northern and northeastern provinces at kilometre marker 36 on Phahol Yothin Road in Klong Luang district, Pathum Thani. The vehicles yesterday carried police for reinforcement in Bangkok. The blockade caused heavy traffic jams on Phahol Yothin Road. Surapol Promsaka na Sakonkanorn
The situation was relatively calm in the capital on Sunday, but tensions flared in Pathum Thani, Udon Thani, Phayao and Ubon Ratchathani where members of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) blocked police from entering Bangkok and led anti-government demonstrations.
About 400 UDD members had blocked the inbound lanes of Phaholyothin Road in Pathum Thani's Khlong Luang district starting at 3.30pm yesterday to prevent vehicles carrying police from Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Sawan, Chai Nat, Sing Buri and Lop Buri from entering Bangkok.
Thirty-five vans carrying 500 police officers and 15 prisoner transport vehicles were barred from entering Bangkok, as it was believed they were on their way to the capital to crack down on UDD protesters.
The UDD maintains a makeshift checkpoint in Pathum Thani, which UDD co-leader Natthawut Saikua said would be an important site to block government forces from entering the capital.
In Udon Thani, more than 200 UDD supporters from several districts gathered on the Friendship Highway in Non Sa-at district at 11pm on Saturday to stop 178 police officers in 10 vans on their way to Bangkok.
Pol Col Dusit Thongwiset, the police chief Udon Thani's Sang Khom district who led the forces, explained the officers were on their way to replace those already in the capital so that the first batch could return home.
The red shirts were unconvinced and refused to let them go. As the stand-off went on, about 150 additional protesters from nearby provinces such as Nong Khai, Nong Bua Lamphu and Sakon Nakhon arrived and joined the blockade.
The stand-off ended at 3am yesterday after the police agreed to abandon their plan to travel to the capital.
Also yesterday, Udon Thani red shirts set up another makeshift checkpoint at an intersection linking the province with Nong Bua Lamphu. The protesters stopped two vans carrying about 20 police officers from Nong Khai and a truck carrying five soldiers.
UDD leaders in Bangkok yesterday renewed their warning that a government crackdown on demonstrators would further erode Mr Abhisit's legitimacy to run the country.
"Please revise your plan [to use force to disperse the red shirt protesters]," said Mr Nattawut Saikua.
"Mr Abhisit should ask himself if he really wants to see Ratchaprasong intersection turn into a killing zone," he said.
If a violent crackdown on Ratchaprasong happens, it would add fuel to the fire add strengthen the anti-government movement.
"You can demolish the Ratchaprasong protest, but you can't root out the red shirt movement. We will come back even stronger," he said.
UDD supporters would no longer use red as their theme colour as part of a new strategy to prevent demonstrators from being inspected by security forces, who reportedly tried to prevent red shirt demonstrators from joining the protest at Ratchaprasong intersection.
The red shirts had anticipated a military crackdown after the prime minister declined their request that he dissolve parliament in 30 days in exchange for an end to the protests which began in mid-March.
Mr Abhisit reiterated that he would not call for fresh election until the situation returned to normal and conditions are in place for a fair and safe election campaign.
The government also has the duty to pass the state budget for the next fiscal year in parliament, he said.
"We have to discuss all problems including creating an atmosphere conducive to fair elections. The next election must not be a bloody one.
''All candidates must be able to campaign freely as should be the way in a democratic society,'' he said in his weekly programme, Having Confidence in Thailand with Prime Minister Abhisit.
The prime minister said a political situation must not be limited to settling the dispute between the government and the red shirts. "Other groups have started their rallies. They have the same rights as those [in the UDD]. I must listen to all parties," he said.
Source: Bangkok Post
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